Guide to Passing the ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exams!

What is ATCL Piano Recital Diploma Exam all about????

This is a guide with resources and pointers to prepare for the most basic ATCL piano Recital Diploma. Most of us, after passing ABRSM Grade 8, will be considering the Diploma Syllabus in our next phase of pianistic achievements. Here, I recommend ATCL(Recital) as the window and the stepping stone to other more sophisticated qualifications. ATCL is the first level diploma offered by the Trinity College Examinations Board.

Here is a copy of the latest exam syllabus

Pls read through it carefully. I will summarise the important feature of the exam:

1. Recital Exams only requires performance of a set of pieces, no scales, no sight reading, no aural tests, no verbal QnA

2. There is a long list ( check the syllabus ) of pieces to assimilate your program from. You can choose to play anything from the list as long as you can make the entire duration last somewhere 32-38 minutes. Timing is important!

3. Sensible choice of pieces is half of the battle. I will explain this further.

4. Candidates are to treat the exam like a professional Recital performance. (ie. Mini-concert) So, just imagine all the features you observe when you attend other pianists' recital concerts. You need to prepare a set of program notes, dressed in professional attire, carry yourself with a professional aura. To be perfectly professional, most pianists play from memory. But, you don't get penalized for playing with scores either. It is the overall impression you portray that matters.

This is an expensive exam to take. Do be fluent in your playing first before you register for the exams. This is different from the lower graded exams where you can register first to “push” yourself to practise harder. But still, it is one of the most fulfilling and the most forgiving diploma exam! It is stated that the expected level of playing is at first year of undergraduate studies in degree course. You are expected to be advanced and reasonably technically fluent player, but not virtuoso.

Choice of Repertoire: How to choose? (Part 1)

If you can recall your good old days of lower grade exams, your repertoire usually consists of one song from each period. This is considered the most basic way to balance a performance, so that the listener will be entertained by the variety of style of music.
However, do you think this method will work if you choose 3 songs that are lente, langsam and triste? Or 3 pieces of different periods at breakneck speed? ( eg. Bach Toccata, Chopin's Etudes and something rapid from Bartok?? ) You will wear out your stamina as well as the examiner's attention span!

There are a few ways to offer some musical and stylistic contrasts between pieces.
Meter, or speed of the piece
Technical demands of the piece
Texture (thick, chordal sound or polyphonic sound)
Structure ( for eg you can contrast a sonata which is made of many movements, with a short complete form like a waltz or impromptu, or with prelude and fugue)
emotions (cheery ones with weepy ones, sentimental and flowing melodies with percussive mechanical clashes)

One more pointer: You can choose ONE popular piece that everyone wants to learn to play, just to satisfy yourself. ( eg. Chopin waltz, etudes, Bach's Italian Concerto) Apart from that, your chances are better if you choose the less frequently performed pieces that fulfill the role of offering stylistic contrasts between pieces. Less frequently performed pieces allows more room for interpretation and will not sound “weird” or “wrong” if you don't perform in the classic way that it is usually performed. Take the example of any Chopin's waltz or etudes. Chopin has never indicated a fixed meter to be followed but pianists usually perform this works at a certain minimum speed. It will sound sluggish if a candidate plays an etude at a slower speed, even though the performance instruction is allegro ma non troppo.
Posted by Usukimo

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